Carnival receives approval from U.S authorities to offer sailings to Cuba in 2016

Carnival Corporation will begin taking travellers to Cuba next year after the United States Department of the Treasury Commerce approved its licence. The cruise company will launch the sailings via its new fathom brand and it will offer seven-day voyages to the Caribbean island from Port Miami in the U.S aboard the 710-passenger MV Adonia vessel.

Carnival Corporation has received approval from the United States Department of the Treasury to offer cruises to Cuba.

The cruise company is planning to take travellers to Cuba in May 2016 via its new fathom brand.

The seven-day voyages will depart from Port Miami onboard the 710-passenger MV Adonia vessel which will be redeployed from Carnival Corporation's PandO Cruises brand.

Carnival's aim is to provide fathom travel itineraries to Cuba via cultural, faith-based, artistic, and humanitarian exchanges and people to people programmes between Cubans and Americans.

The cruise corporation is now in discussions with authorities in Cuba to ensure approval is granted by the island nation's government.

"We are excited about receiving US approval as the very important first step to ultimately take travellers to Cuba under the existing 12 criteria for authorised travel."

Stated Arnold Donald, the President of Carnival Corporation. He also explained:

"We look forward to working with the Cuban authorities for their approval to help make the social, cultural and humanitarian exchanges between US citizens and the people of Cuba a reality.

"We know there is strong demand from travellers who want to immerse themselves in Cuban culture, so this is a historic opportunity for us to enable more people to experience Cuban society."

Last week U.S President Obama announced that embassies in Washington and Havana in Cuba would open on 20th July, 2015, following hostilities that have lasted more than five decades. Diplomatic relations between the two countries are being resumed one again following the trade and travel embargo.

The recent changes to the U.S-Cuba relations will have a significant impact on the tourism industry in Cuba, with many Americans planning to travel to the Caribbean island in the near future, and many for the first ever time.

General tourism and sun holidays to Cuba are still restricted but U.S travellers can travel to the island through people to people programmes and trips in 12 categories organised by tour operators and charter companies in the U.S.